Shop Floor Workers Bear the Health Cost of Workplace Digitisation, Study Finds
Published on 10/06/2026 at 02:20 | Editorial boerse-global.de
Employees in manual and skilled-trade roles report worse health and take roughly 20% more sick days per year as digital technology spreads through their workplaces — a burden that does not show up among desk-based staff, according to research reported by marktundmittelstand.de on 04.10.2026.
The findings come from the ifo Institute, the Institute for Employment Research (IAB) and the University of Konstanz, based on data covering 2011–2019.
A divide between workshop and office
The evaluation draws a sharp line between types of work. For people in manual and craft occupations, researchers found a close link between the level of digitisation and higher absenteeism. No such effect appeared for office jobs.
Screen-based and desk workers showed neither a comparable rise in sick notes nor a similar decline in how they rated their own wellbeing.
The researchers caution that the correlations they observed do not prove a causal relationship. Still, the statistical patterns indicate that new digital processes in craft and industrial workflows can generate specific strains that simply do not arise in a classic office setting.
Training and managers as buffers
The study also points to ways companies can push back against these effects. Among manual workers who received training on the new digital tools, the research found barely any worsening in self-rated health and no additional sick days. Preparing people specifically for changed tools and procedures appears to act as a significant protective factor.
Supervisor behaviour emerged as another decisive element. Where employees felt noticeable support from their managers, the study linked this to a markedly lower burden. Alongside technical training, having direct line managers accompany the change therefore plays a central role in averting health risks.
Pressure rises across the board
Even with the differing effects on absenteeism and perceived health, digitisation brought tangible changes for the entire workforce. Across both manual and office roles, task complexity along with time and performance pressure increased during the 2011–2019 survey period.
Administrative and service employees appear to have absorbed that added pressure without a measurable rise in sickness absence. In manual work, by contrast, the extra demands fed more directly into physical strain and time off.
For employers, the results make one thing clear: technical modernisation in industrial and craft settings must be paired with further training and attentive leadership.
